Non-refillable bottle.



Patented Aug. I3, |90I.

s. w. DURHAM. NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE.

(Application lsd Max'. 26, 1901.)

(No Model.)

snc-nonms Parana co UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

SLIILOH V. DURHAM, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,319, dated August 13, 1901.

Application filed March Z6, 1901. Serial` No. 52,993. (No model.)

To all whom/ t ntcty concern,.-

Be it known that I, SHILOH W. DURHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented a new and useful Non-Rellable Bottle, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in non-rellable bottles.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of nou-refillable bottles, more especially the means for preventing the valve mechanism from being tampered with by instruments introduced into the neck of a bottle or analogous receptacle, and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device adapted to accomplish the above result and capable of ettectually preventing a bottle or other receptacle from being surreptitiously refilled after it has received its original contents.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectional view of a portion of abottle constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective View of the guard or shield. Fig. v3 is a similar view of the upper funnel-shaped member of the same. Fig. 4 is -a vertical sectional view of a guard or shield, showing another form of lower member or cup. Fig. 5 is a detail View of the lower cylindrical member, illustrating the manner of clined position by a weight 4. The neck of 'the bottle may be constructed in any suitable l manner to form the seat, and it may be bulged or enlarged above the seat or simply contracted at the said seat. The upper ball vor 'valve is constructed of wood, cork., or other light material, andthe lower weight 4, which is in the form of aball, is preferably constructed of porcelain, nre-clay, or other suitable material which is heavier than the ballvalve and which is not affected by the con-V tents of the bottle or other receptacle. The lower ball or weight is connected with the upper ball or valve by a short cord 5 and is adapted when the bottle is in any position in which the neck is horizontal or above a horizontal position to lie against the inclined porL tion of the body of the bottle or receptacle adjacent to the neck, whereby the said weight will operate to hold th'e ball-valve firmly against the seat, so that the valve will remain closed until the mouth of the bottle is brought below a horizontal position. Should the bottle or other receptacle be placed horizontally in a tub of liquid, the weight will hold the ball-valve against the seat, and the exterior pressure caused by the liquid entering the neck will assist in preventing the valve from opening, and it will be impossible for any of such liquid to enter the body of the bottle.

In order to prevent a tool or instrument from being inserted in the neck of the bottle for the purpose of holding the valve olii' the seat while the bottle is being surreptitiously filled, a guard or shield 6 is provided. This guard or shield consists of an upper conical member '7 and a lower approximately cylindrical member 8, which Yis supported by the upper conical or funnelshaped member. These part,swhich are preferably constructed of sheet metal or other suitable material, are designed to be plated or coated with granite, porcelain,or some analogous substance which will be unaffected by the liquid contents of the bottle. The funnel-shaped member or cone is split longitudinally at one side to render it resilient, and it is adapted to spring into engagement with an interior annular groove 9 ofthe neck of the bottle, whereby the guard or shield is supported in operative position and is prevented from being with drawn. The groove 9 forms an upper shoulder, which will stop the guard. or shield and prevent the same from being extracted from the neck. The bottom of the cone is cut away to provide an opening 10, and prongs 11 are formed integral with the .cone and are passed IOO through slots V12 of the bottom lof the lower member or easing 8 and -are clenched or up set against the same, as clearly shown in Fig. l, whereby the two members of the shield or guardare secured together. The lower cylindrical member or casing ispreferably constructed of asingle stripot' metal,doubled between its ends to form two sides, which are semicylindrical, and the bending ot the metal in this manner forms opposite projections 13; but instead of constructing the lower member or casing in this' manner it may be made in any other suitable way. This form of lower section or casing is preferable, as the bottom is thereby projected inwardly toward the apex of the cone, and ample space is provided at each side of the latter to permit the liquid, in decanting, to 'liow freely through the guard or shield. The guard or shield, which has its top closed by the cone, abuts against the exterior of the same and is provided adjacent to its upper edge With apertures 14,which may be of any desired number. When the bottle is inverted, the :ballvalve opens and the liquid is permitted to fiow outward freely, and it passes into the lower member or. casing S through the apertures let and escapes through the openings at the bottom or apex ot' the cone. The casing is whollysupported by the inverted cone, and its upper edges, which are spaced from the neck of the receptacle, terminate short of the upper edges or top of the cone.

The guard or shield is located a suiicient distance below the top of the neck to enable the bottle to be corked and sealed in the ordinary manner, and after it has received its contents the balls are dropped into position and the guard or shield is then inserted. The bottle cannot'then be refilled, and its contents are eectively protected from adulteration. Although the improvements are shown applied to the neck of a bottle, yet it will be readily apparent that they are equally applicable to analogous receptacles having necks.

In Fig. et of the drawings is illustrated another form ot' lower member or cup, and this cup 8f', which is provided with a horizontal bottom to receive the prongs 11 ot` the upper conical member, is otherwise constructed similar tothe lower member S.

It will be seen that the device is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to be readily placed within the neck of a receptacle, and that it will effectually prevent the valve from being tampered with, so that there will be no liability .fr v 630,319

of a bottle being surreptitiously refilled or its original contents adulterated.

l. The combination with the neck of a receptacle, of a valve arranged therein, and a shield comprising an in-verted cone interlocked at its upper edge or case with the neck of the receptacle and provided with an opening, and a centrali y-arran ged lower casing secured to the. bottom of the cone and wholly su pported by the latter and spaced from the neck ot the receptacle, the upper edges of the casingk terminating short of the top of the cone, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the neck of a receptacle, of a valve arranged therein, andra shield comprising an inverted resilient cone interlocked at its upper edges or base with the neck of the receptacle and provided with an opening, and a casing arranged at the bottom of the cone and secured toV and wholly supported by the same and covering the said opening, the upper edges of the casing terminating short of the top of the coneand being spaced from the neck of the receptacle, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the neck of a receptacle, of a valve arranged therein, and a shield comprising a cone having a bottom opening and provided with prongs, and an approximately cylindrical lower casing receiving the lower portion of the cone, and having its betteln extended upward and slotted to receive the said prongs, said casing being provided with apertures, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the neck of a receptacle having a seat and provided with a groove, of a ball-valve arranged on the seat, a weight located within the body of the receptacle and connected with the ball-valve, and a shield composed of a resilient cone and having a bottom opening and split longitudinally whereby it is rendered resilient and is adapted to spring into engagement with the groove 'of the neck, and a lower casing secured to the cone and extending above the said opening and provided with apertures, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afxed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SHILOH W. DURI-IAM.

Titnessesz J. S. DURHAM, SEWELL HATCHER.

lOO 

